


heaven is a place on earth (with you)

by RengaZ



Category: SK8 the Infinity (Anime)
Genre: Cherry is Protective of Reki, Cherry is Reki's father figure, Florist Kyan Reki, Hasegawa Langa In Love, Jealous Kyan Reki, Joe is Langa's father figure, Kyan Reki Deserves Nice Things, Kyan Reki is a Ray of Sunshine, M/M, Mutual Pining, Oblivious Hasegawa Langa, Reki Supremacy, Tattoo Artist Langa Hasegawa, i havent edited any of the grammar stuff yet uwu dont be pressed if there's bad spelling or sum, they're all a big family i'm gonna have a breakdown!
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-07
Updated: 2021-03-08
Packaged: 2021-03-12 18:22:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,890
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29888670
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RengaZ/pseuds/RengaZ
Summary: The one in which Langa gets a job at Joe's tattoo parlor and Reki is the cute redhead next door working for Cherry's flower shop.Cue miscommunication and mutual pining.
Relationships: Hasegawa Langa/Kyan Reki, Nanjo Kojiro | Joe/Sakurayashiki Kaoru | Cherry Blossom
Comments: 42
Kudos: 369





	1. i think he's gonna be okay

**Author's Note:**

> hey-o
> 
> this has nothing to do with canon btw (episode 7-9 can suck my dick honestly) 
> 
> its just a cute tattoo artist langa x florist reki au with side matcha blossom and shadow being a horrified uncle while miya is good at gadgets so true. cant promise regular updates as i have a job and college, but i'm hoping to update it as often as i can! 
> 
> no nsfw or anything weird in here, although adam will make an entrance sooner or later as an annoying asshole so yuh 
> 
> i hope you enjoy <3

_i think he's gonna be okay._

* * *

Langa wasn’t one for nature. 

He preferred the indoors — where he could rest comfortable in the softness of his bed, stay cool with his AC, and entertain himself with his sketchbook and Crunchyroll subscription. He used to go out quite often as a kid, find any reason to be athletic, but once his dad died it was like a switch flipped. He went from being somewhat social, somewhat active — to completely isolated. 

He knew it worried his mom, especially since he was 22 and hadn’t shown any interest to leave, but he couldn’t help it. 

Putting himself out there, having to live in a world his dad wasn’t a part of...he just couldn’t bring himself to do such a thing. 

Sighing, Langa’s shoulders round over as he stares at his laptop - a list of local jobs staring back at him. He had only recently finished getting the necessary license required to become a tattoo artist, but there were barely any places hiring, which is surprising considering tattoo artists were difficult to find in Japan, with the tradition and everything…

Clicking and scrolling furiously through the job site, Langa is just about to give up when he reaches a four and a half star shop. Interest peaked, he clicks on it:

_ Pain & Patience Ink: _

_ We’ll hold your hand as you scream! _ _  
  
_

_ We’ll hold your hand as you scream?  _ Langa wrinkles his nose, clicking off of the job application and moving to the official website. What type of slogan is that…

Once on the website, he’s met with Comic Sans font, unaligned photos, and an overwhelming amount of caps lock. He’s about to leave and find another shop to try and work for, but hesitates when he starts to take in the actual quality of the photos. 

There seems to be only one frequent tattoo artist - an overly large buff man who’s either wearing a tank top or nothing at all, with messy bright green hair ruffled on the top of his head. Langa scrolls through the photos, taking in the man flexing his back: which has two overly [large angel wings](https://www.thetrendspotter.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Wings-Tattoo.jpg) spreading over his shoulder blades, ending just above his middle back and running over the top of his arms. 

Langa also notices a small, cherry blossom tattoo right over the small of his back: seeming out of place as opposed to the giant angel wings that he first saw. Humming, he continues to look through the photos. There’s more photos of the green haired man tattooing his own forearm tattoo: [a snake wrapped around a wooden stick](https://www.thetrendspotter.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/Outer-Forearm-Tattoo.jpg), and leaves sprouting from behind him… 

With a look of awe on his face, the blue haired boy flips through the gallery, amazed by the work the green haired man was doing. Sitting back after looking at all the photos at least once, he looks up at the photo of him and his dad on his desk, a small smile on his face.    
  
Maybe working for this guy wouldn’t be too bad…   


* * *

Langa hears back from the man, who he soon learns goes by the nickname “Joe,” around two days later. The blue haired boy is curled up in his blankets, suckling on the straw of his apple juice box as he watches some random shoujin anime that popped up on his recommendation list. As the girl vents to her love interest on screen; all fat tears and annoying wails, his phone goes off- an unknown number brightening on his screen. 

He almost ignores it - after all, who would be calling at 21:00? - but decided against his gut instinct; pausing his anime and picking it up to answer.    
  
“Hello?”

Langa is almost surprised at the sound of his own voice - which is low, rough, and sounds almost small. He can’t remember the last time he spoke out loud...was it yesterday? He had to have spoken recently…   
  
“Hey there! Is this...Jenga?”

Langa frowns. “No, I don’t know who a Jenga is.”   
  
There’s some shuffling from the other end before the voice is groaning to himself. “Ah, my bad. Langa?”   
  
The blue haired boy slightly freezes, mouth opening but no sound coming out. Was this a job finally coming back to him?    
  
“Jenga? Langa? Bongo? You there?”

Langa clears his throat and swallows, before responding. “Yeah, that’s me. Bongo isn’t very close to my name, by the way.”    
  
He can hear a low chuckle come from the other side of the line. “Sorry about that. I tend to try and remember people’s names that apply, and sometimes miss the mark.”    
  
“Right…”

“Anyways, I looked over your job application. Honestly, I’m surprised you wanted to work at a place like mine. You have enough talent to go work at one of the higher end places.”

Langa shrugs, pausing in silence before he realizes this man can’t see him. “Well-I enjoyed your website.”

“Website? I haven’t touched that thing in years…”

“No offense, Sir, but I could tell with how all the photos were unaligned.”

“Yeah...I should probably look into fixing that.” The man sighs. “Anyways, let me properly introduce myself. If you wanna be formal, my name is  _ Nanjō Kojirō,  _ but I prefer to be called by Joe as it’s my alias at work.”    
  
Langa hesitates when there’s a gap of silence - not knowing what to say, but luckily, Joe continues to speak so he doesn’t have to. 

“The application you sent in - like I said before, you have a lot of talent. Why you applied to some low end self-owned tattoo parlor is beyond me, but I’m not a moron. If you want the job you got it.”

Langa’s eyes go wide. “Really? That easily?”

“Hell yeah, kid. I only had one other guy start working for me but he ended up being a nutjob that got off on ruining tattoos. Had to fire him on the first day, and if it’s just me I won’t be able to keep this place up and running.”

“You work alone?”

Joe hums on the other side of the phone. “Pretty much, yeah. It’s a pretty small shop - only three rooms, and not a whole lot of people come in, but it’s enough to make ends meet. I’m sure it’ll close down one day, but if I’m being honest I feel like if you came in, we’d attract more business.”

“Why’s that?”

“Did you not hear the two times I complimented you? Jesus kid.”

“Sorry…”

Joe sighs. “It’s fine, don’t worry about it. Anyways, if you could come in tomorrow and get all the paperwork started, that’d be cool. You could also hang around and just get a feel for the parlor. You won’t be allowed to do any tattoos until I see you pass all the levels I have for training on fake skin, but I’m sure it’s nothing for you to worry about.”

“Oh...that sounds cool.”

“Yup, yup. Just come over near lunch-time, yeah? I like to sleep in, and open shop late, if you haven’t noticed.” Joe gives a whole hearted laugh over the phone. “Good time for business too, lots of drunks come in and just pay whatever you offer. I’ve got some good stories, but we can save that for later.” 

“Yeah, yeah! So 12 in the afternoon is alright for me to come in?” 

“Yea, sure thing.”

“Alright, I’ll see you then, Sir. Thank you so much for the opportunity.”

Joe huffs on the other line. “No problem.”

And then the phone call is cutting off, and Langa is left in the dark silence of his room - looking at the frozen screen on his television screen. He got a job…

Unable to stop the small smile that crossed his face, Langa plugs the number into his contact list and then lays down on his side, anime forgotten. Pulling up the album of his dad on his phone, he looks through it with a gleam in his eyes. 

Maybe this would help…

* * *

Langa doesn’t sleep at all that night. 

You’d think when it came to your first day on a job you would, but he’s so excited he stays awake for three hours after the call just staring at the ceiling - recalling memories he had back when he was working to get his license, and other memories of his dad gushing about how beautiful his artwork was when he was back in middle school. After three hours of just thinking and reminiscing, he gets up, turns on his light, and pulls out his sketchbook: googling a bunch of random tattoos online and just drawing them. It’s only when there’s a soft knock on his door does he realize the sun has risen; and his fingers are stained with the excess lead that rubbed off on his paper. 

He looks up at his door, which is still closed. 

“Come in,"

The door opens, revealing his mom, who has a bright smile on her face. “It’s almost 9am. I was getting worried you’d be sleeping in too late to start the day.”

Langa’s eyes go wide. “It’s 9am?”

“Yeah. You were so silent, I thought you were sleeping.”   
  
Silent, the blue-eyed boy merely blinks: trying to detect any signs of exhaustion in his system, only to find none. Was he really that excited? 

Langa’s mother frowns at the sight of her son spacing out. 

“Langa? Are you alright?”

“Huh?” Langa looks back to her, shaking his head. “No, I’m okay, it’s just...I got a call last night.”

Brown eyebrows narrow down, knitting together in worry. “A call? From who?” 

“I applied to a couple of tattoo shops nearby...one of them came back to me.”

Her looks of worry twists into one of excitement - her eyes beaming with proudness as she holds back a squeal of excitement. “They did!?”

“Yeah…” Langa frowns, looking down at his finger, which is covered in a metallic silver. “I guess I was so excited I stayed up all last night just drawing. I didn’t even think about the time…”

“Oh-oh, dear.” 

“I'm going to leave near lunch today.”

His mom walks over to him, plucking the sketchbook out of his hands and pressing the back of her own against his forehead: checking for any signs of fatigue. 

“Well, you don’t seem exhausted - but that might’ve just been the excitement. You have enough time to at least take a power nap. Maybe get some rest?” 

Langa hesitates - shaking his head. “No, I’m okay.”

His mother once more gives him a look of concern. “Are you sure? You normally sleep like 13 hours a day, I wouldn’t want you collapsing or something-”

“Mom.” 

She cuts herself off - Langa meeting her eyes and giving her a soft smile. 

“I think this is a...a good thing. I used to sleep only because I had nothing to be awake for…”

Her breath hitches in her throat - not knowing how to respond. She doesn’t have to, though, because Langa gets up from his bed, brushing some eraser shavings off his shirt. 

“I’m gonna take a shower, okay?” He pauses, before giving her another smile. “Can you make me some breakfast?” 

His mother nods, unable to speak. 

“Alright...thank you.”

And then he’s walking out - leaving her to herself. 

She stands there for a moment, unwavering, before sitting down on her son’s bed and opening his sketchbook. Flipping through the pages, she notices a lot of drawings of her late husband: some of just him, some of the whole family, and some of him and her dancing…

“Oh, Oliver…” She swipes her thumb over one, unable to stop the tears that well up in her eyes or the smile that crosses her face. “I think he’s gonna be okay.”

* * *

The time passes by quickly. 

Langa spends as much time as he can in the shower - lost in his thoughts as he cleans himself off. What would working at the tattoo parlor be like? Would Joe teach him how to tattoo his own body? What would Joe think of Langa’s tattoos? Would Joe give Langa a tattoo? Would they become so close as to get matching ones…

He sighs as he turns off the water - shaking his head. He knew his life wasn’t the best: in fact, it was probably down there at just above average, but was he as low to hope that getting a job would turn his life into some weird shoujin anime? It was just a job, after all...but then again, his dad always told him to go into things hopeful and keep his mind open to new possibilities. 

Tugging on his clothes for the day, he smiles. 

_ Yeah,  _ he thinks to himself.  _ I just gotta keep my mind open.  _

Once in his room, with just a towel around his waist, Langa shuffles through his closet. Joe didn’t seem like a formal person, if the multiple shirtless photos all over the website said anything, so he pushed all his formal stuff back - knowing a tattoo parlor wasn’t the proper place for a tuxedo. He can’t help but feel the need to make an impression though, so he settles on something nice but still casual: a white button up with the sleeves cuffed around his forearm, showing off multiple art pieces, and baby blue skinny jeans rolled over his ankles with white and black high tops; that looked worn from skateboarding. 

When he finished dressing, he ruffled his hair. He was always one to like long hair, but since he hadn’t gotten it cut for a couple of months, it almost rested on his shoulders. Sighing, he gets a hair tie and pulls it up into a sloppy bun, sneering at the sight of its stiffness and tugging a strand out to rest it over his left eye. Once it looks a bit more natural, he settles on it. When the first paycheck comes, he’ll make sure to blow in on a haircut. 

Satisfied (sort of) with his presentation, Langa makes himself out of his room and into the kitchen, where his mom is already seated at the dining table with food in front of her. 

“You made it that quickly?”

“Yeah, well...you were in the shower for quite some time.” 

Langa hums, knowing how easy it was for him to lose track of time. “Sorry, that’s my mistake.”

“Don’t worry-” His mom cuts off when he wraps his arm around her shoulder in a half-assed hug, pressing a kiss to her cheek. Her face goes red as he slides in the seat in front of her, immediately picking up his fork and stabbing at his scrambled eggs. “Well, you must be in a good mood today.”

Langa shrugs, chewing on his egg. He didn’t respond though - his mouth was full, and that’s impolite. 

“You look quite nice, too. You must be really looking forward to this job, huh?”

Langa shrugs once more. “It’s whatever, I guess. We need the money.”

_ We.  _

His mom can’t help but feel warm at the thought of her son wanting to help him - even if she made sure they had more than enough to survive. She knew he must be feeling some sort of insecurity regarding his age and poor history of job keeping, but...she didn’t mind keeping him around. If anything, she hopes he stays around longer. 

It’d be so silent without him. 

“So, when are you gonna give me  _ my  _ tattoo?”

Langa snickers, swallowing a bite of his sausage patty. “Mom, you can barely handle getting a flu shot.”

“You’re just drawing on me, it can’t be that bad.” 

“It pierces your  _ skin,  _ mom. Like, a million times. I wouldn’t recommend it with your fear of needles.”

She huffs, shoving her own eggs around with a pout. “You just don’t want me to be cooler than you,”

“As if.”

“Whatever, have fun losing a paying customer.”

Langa shrugs. “Joe said the place gets a lot of drunk people. I’m sure I’ll survive,”

He laughs as she throws a napkin at him. 

“You are so, so, cruel! What would your father think?”

“I think he’d agree.”

She huffs, taking a stubborn bite of her meal. Once a comfortable silence falls over them, Langa looking quite intensely at his plate, she clears her throat. “I’m proud of you, you know?”

Langa’s eyes flicker up to look at her own. “Huh?”

“I’m proud of you. You-I was worried for a little bit. You would just hole up in your room and not speak to me...silence can sometimes be violent, you know?”

“Sorry.”

“There’s no need to apologize.” She smiles, reaching over and squeezing his free hand which rests on the table. “I went through it after...you know. What matters now is that you’re finally moving on. Or at least coping,”

Langa looks back down at his plate. “It’s just a job, mom.”

“But you’re  _ excited. _ ”

He sighs, ignoring the warmth starting in his cheeks. “You’re acting like I’m getting married.”

“Oh no,” she says, pressing a hand to her heart. “I’m suddenly having a heart attack at the mention of marriage.”

Langa laughs as she pretends to wheeze. 

“Langa! My chest! I can’t breathe!”

“Mom,” Langa manages to get out between laughs. 

“DON’T JUST SIT THERE! WHAT WOULD I DO IF I WAS ACTUALLY DYING?”

“Uh-”

“UH IS NOT AN ANSWER!”

Langa continues to laugh as his mom scolds him - and the rest of breakfast is spent with her cracking jokes, chasing after the smile she longed to see on her only son’s face. 

It was nothing compared to the smile Oliver managed to ring from him, but it’ll do. 

For now. 

* * *

Maybe skateboarding to the tattoo parlor wasn’t the best idea in the world. 

As Langa rides along the pavement, wheels bumping in and out of the cracks, he can’t help but feel sweat gather at his forehead, and on the inners of his armpits. Suddenly, he wished he had worn a regular t-shirt, or even a tank-top, because it was hotter than hell outside. 

Sighing, he takes in the shops around him; some being nail salons, other being thrift shops, and he even saw a place that was catered towards tutoring “troubled” children...whatever that means. It was a pretty nice area; nothing too fancy, but still well organized nonetheless. 

Exactly as the clock hit 12, Langa stopped his skateboard right in front of Joe’s shop.  _ Pain & Patience Ink  _ hung above the store in bubbly, neon colored letters which were dull due to it being light outside. Langa frowns as he picks up his skateboard, walking up to the front door and trying to open it only for it not to budge. 

He bangs on the front of the shop, and then waits, only to receive no reply. 

Joe must not be in then, yet…

Looking around, Langa pouts. There was no bench to sit at, or anything, and it was so, so,  _ so  _ hot outside…

Pulling his phone from his pocket, he sees a text message that Joe sent. 

> _ Running late! Just go into the shop next door and said Joe allowed you to loiter there.  _
> 
> _ It’ll be fine _
> 
> _ If Cherry says anything tell him I said to suck it >:) _

Frowning, Langa looks at the little floral shop next to the tattoo parlor. It’s pink. So, so, violently pink, and he has no idea how he didn’t notice it immediately considering the outside of the tattoo parlor was colored a greyish green and they both clashed so drastically it was almost humiliating. At the top, a cursive neon sign read:  _ Enchanted Garden.  _

Langa can’t help but wrinkle his nose. 

_ Pain & Patience Ink? Enchanted Garden? Who was naming these shops… _

He hesitates, reading Joe’s text over and over again; debating on whether or not he should intrude. Walking up to the front door; he peers in. Nobody is at the front desk, and it looks like there’s a mini hang out spot where he could just sit and wait...maybe if he’s silent, and doesn’t bother anyone, he could go in and out unnoticed. 

Sighing, he pushes open the door: only for a loud jingle to ring over his head.

Ugh. Of course there was a bell attached so they would know when customers came in. 

He steps in, clutching his skateboard to his side. 

“WELCOME TO THE ENCHANTED GARDEN! I’LL BE OUT TO HELP IN JUST A SECOND!”

Langa freezes in his spot at the sound of a voice coming from the back room: and looks around, wondering if it would be rude to just hide behind one of their displays of roses. He spends too much time thinking, obviously, because a boy his age with red hair tucked back with butterfly clips emerges from the back room; holding a bag of soil to his chest and grinning at Langa with happy eyes. 

“Hey there! My name’s Reki, do you need any help today?”

The blue haired boy can’t help but swallow, feeling blood build up in his face when Reki opens his eyes: bright and amber colored. 

Oh God. 

He was  _ cute.  _   



	2. friends

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Langa gets to meet some new people.
> 
> The cute redhead is his favorite, of course.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ayo!
> 
> at the point of writing this, i got like 1k hits and almost 200 kudos? holy crap? thats so cool gn
> 
> im so glad you all like it so far! this chapter was going to be much longer but it's at like 13 pages so i'll just cut what i wanted to write today in half lol 
> 
> anyways i wrote this instead of starting on my 6 page essay so pls like it

_friends._

* * *

The thing about isolating yourself is when you finally emerge from the little nest you’ve built in your home and start interacting with people, it can be scary.

It’s happened to Langa multiple times - where he goes out in public and flinches at the cashier's overly cheerful tone, or feels this overwhelming dread of anxiety drape over his shoulders like a heavy blanket. Most of the time, it’s him being irrationally frightened that causes him to embarrass himself - but this time…

That wasn’t the case. 

Reki’s smile falls and his face shifts into one of confusion, shifting the bag of soil onto his hip as a mother would carry a baby and scratching at his hair with his free hand. “Uh-are you alright? You look kind of frightened.”

Langa swallows nervously, realizing how his body had tensed and his hands had suddenly become clammy. He chuckles, giving a light hearted shrug - not trusting his voice out of fear of it hitting such a high pitch of anxiousness that it’ll shatter the glass windows. 

“We have some foam cups in the back office, I can get you a drink of water if you want?” 

“Uh, I...” Langa clears his throat, trying to prevent further embarrassment. “No thank you, I’m alright.”

The redhead merely frowns, giving him a look that says  _ I don’t think so. _ “It’s really no big deal, blue. How about you take a seat in our lounging area, and I’ll be out with a cup of water.”

“But-”

Reki’s frown quirks up into a smirk. “That wasn’t a question.”

Then he’s dropping the bag of soil where he stood and turning on his heel - disappearing into the back. Langa can’t help but look at the minor tear in the bag, where some of the soil had spilt. Well...I guess messes were bound to happen in a floral shop…

Licking his lips, Langa goes back to the entrance, peering outside and hoping Joe would make an appearance and save the blue haired boy from awkward small talk. It wasn’t like he wanted to be rude, or anything, it’s just Reki seemed so, so nice and  _ so, so cute,  _ and…

Langa swallows, pressing a hand to his heart. 

God.

Was this his punishment for hiding for weeks? Was some otherworldly being trying to kill him via cute boys? Cute  _ potentially straight  _ boys? 

He whines, pressing a hand to his forehead. He really needed to wait it out so he could see Joe, though…

Whatever.

Walking over to the tiny couch near an even tinier coffee table, Langa sinks down into it; hugging his skateboard to his chest with a pout. It can’t be that bad, right? 

“Here we go! One cup of water, coming right up!” 

Langa blinks when Reki all but jumps over the bag of soil, making his way over to the blue eyed boy and presenting his cup of water as one would a trophy. 

“It’s only tap water,” Reki tells him. “Nothing too fancy like bottle water or anything, but you seem stressed out, man.”

“I...thanks, I guess.”

The redhead places both of his hands on his hips when Langa takes the cup of water away from him, bending at the waist and ticking one eyebrow up at the boy sitting down. “You guess? Dude you look like you’re about to pass out! Where are your manners?”

“Sorry. I’m not used to such hospitality.” Langa quickly drinks the glass of water - and easy way out of conversation. Once it’s done, he can’t help but pout at the cup. “Um...can I get some more?”

Reki plucks the cup from his hand, holding it high up, as if Langa would even try to fight for it in the first place. “You could,” He pauses. “But under one condition.” 

Langa just blinks. 

“State your name and business.”

“My...name?”

“And business,” Reki teases, holding the cup in both hands while giving Langa a smile that made the boy’s heart skip a beat.

Langa shifts in his seat, a minor warmth rising in his cheeks. “Uh...I’m Langa. Joe told me to wait here while he comes over.”

The boy winces at his choice of words. So stupid. It’s not like this kid would know who Joe was, he was gonna continue conversation and then they’d be stuck there and Langa would have to suffer through small talk from a cute boy that was probably straight and would plague his dreams for the rest of eternity and-

“Oh, Joe? Are you gonna work for him or something?”

Langa just blinks once more, the nervousness building up in his stomach falling flat. “Yeah. You know him?”

“Uh, he works right next door to me, dude. Besides, he and Cherry are like...a thing.”

“A thing.”

Reki shrugs. “I don’t know. They have this weird thing where all they do is bicker and fight but in those moments where they think nobodies looking…” Reki's smile turns into one that is soft, his eyes sparkling. “They’re each other’s world, you know?”

Langa just sits there, not knowing how to respond. “Uh…”

“Sorry,” Reki says, but he doesn’t look ashamed of how he acted. “Shadow says I get all gushy and romantic with the customers...he also says I’m some weird Joe fanboy but he dresses up in leotards and panties in his free time so he can stay silent.”

_ What is he talking about?  _ “Panties…?”   


“If you’re planning on working for Joe, why’d you come in here? Is he not in or something?”

Langa shakes his head. “No, he texted me letting me know he’d be late, and to hide in here...he said if anyone said anything to just mention him. I guess I can see why now.” 

“Yeah, well the tattoo and flower shop are pretty close, considering the owners have known each other since they were kids. I even got super close with one of the guys that used to work with Joe, but um…” Reki shrugs. “It’s weird working a long time at a job, you know? People just...come and go.”

“I don’t tend to stick around for that long...I have a bad history of getting fired.”

Reki rubs a finger under his nose, giggling. “I’m sure you won’t be as bad as the guy that got off on ruining this girl's tattoo. Holy crap! That was a moment.”

“Oh, Joe told me about that.”

“Yeah! God, the dude was literally a menace! I would’ve never gotten a tattoo from him…”

Langa looks at his cup, which Reki is still holding. “Do you have any tattoos?”

“No, but I think I’d like a few...don’t know what I’d get though. Plus I don’t think it matches with my vibe, or whatever...But then again, working at a flower shop also doesn’t work with that vibe: I’m quite an aesthetic mess when it comes down to it.”

“I’m a mess too,” Langa nods, looking back up to Reki’s eyes. “And from what I’ve seen, you seem pretty cool.”

For the first time in the conversation, the blue haired boy notices how Reki’s eyes round into a soft, awe-like look and his mouth slightly opens. It only happens for a second, before he’s back to smiling cheekily. 

“Thanks. You seem cool too.”

“Mhm…” Langa awkwardly looks back down to the cup. “So, uh...about that water?” 

“Oh, right! Sorry about that, I’ll get it right now!”

“Don’t apologize, it’s alright.”    
  
Reki flashes one last smile before disappearing into the back once more; Langa’s eyes watching him as he goes to get him water. 

Well…

That was interesting. 

Langa places his skateboard on the floor beneath him, pressing one foot on top of it and just rolling it side to side. He wasn’t expecting such a long conversation with a florist, especially with his whole skater boy aura, but...he couldn’t help but feel as though he enjoyed it. He was used to people being all blushy and awkward around him; acting like they were too inferior to be in his presence. To have someone be so open, have such a fluid conversation…

He reaches up and presses a hand to his chest once more. 

Langa was so lost in his thoughts, focusing on the feeling of his loud heart beat, that he didn’t notice anyone enter the store. 

“Who are you?” 

Langa blinks, looking away from the coffee table and up at a pink-haired man dressed in a traditional kimono with a closed fan raised up to rest over his shoulder. He had a vibrant purple band around one of his wrists, his glass rode low on his nose, and he seemed to be looking at Langa as if he were some sort of pest. 

“Uh...I’m Langa.”

The man peers down at his arms. “Tattoos, hm?”

“Yeah…” Langa clears his throat. “Joe told me I could sit in here.”

Sneering, the pink-haired man crosses his arms, his eyes closing angrily. “And what gave him the right to tell you that? This is not his shop. He does not own it. I don’t need you scaring off any of my customers, now go.” 

Langa blinked. “Um…”

“I got the water!” 

Reki bounds from the back with a happy smile, only for a look of nervousness to cross his features at the sight of the man. He gulps, before lifting the cup up with another smile. “For me, of course! I love to announce that I got myself water, I’m so fun and unique and that’s why Cherry adores me!”

Langa can’t help but feel his lip twitch up at the sight of Reki trying to cover his tracks. He looks over to who he supposes is Cherry, and finds the man giving the worker a stern glare. 

“Reki. You know what I said about letting people loiter who aren’t paying customers.” 

Reki brings the cup to his lip, taking a tiny sip. “Ah, yes! Refreshing tap water!”

Cherry narrows his eyes even further. “Tell me you did not just drink from his cup.”

There’s a pause that hangs in the air, everyone frozen in their spot before Reki just blinks at the cup. “Oh, right...he could have a disease, or something.”

Langa’s eyes go wide when, for some reason, Cherry turns to him with an even harsher glare. 

“You,” he spits. “Out.”

“But-”

“Cherry!” Reki bounds over to them, standing near Langa with wide puppy eyes. “Joe is running late and it’s super hot outside. I know he has tattoos and you don’t care for Joe a lot, but... _ pleaassseee _ ?”

Reki flashes Cherry even sadder eyes, the older man staring at them quite intensely before scoffing. 

“Fine, if you want to keep the stray hound then  _ you’re _ the one who has to watch over him while still getting stuff done.”

Reki throws his fists up and cheers, while Langa just ticks his head to the side at being called a  _ hound _ . 

“It’s the nice thing to do, Cherry!” Reki gushes. 

“I’m not a nice person,” the pink haired male looks over at Langa once more, flipping his fan open and fanning himself. “Hmph.” 

“Well, I’m nice enough for the both of us!”    
  
“...Sure. Just make sure he doesn’t wreck anything, will you?”

“You got it, boss!” 

Cherry sends  _ one last look  _ Langa’s way before walking off to the back silently, Reki waiting until he’s no longer in their sights before turning to Langa with a cheeky, brattish grin on his face. 

“The puppy dog eyes always work!” 

Langa can’t help but laugh a little, pressing his hands to his knees. “You didn’t have to do that, you know...I can leave if it’s not-”

“Nonsense!” Reki declares, poking Langa on the cheek. “You may not be a paying customer, but I’m sure if you just loitered outside and just sat there all hot and stuff, you would get some people thinking you're homeless…” Reki pauses, before thinking over his work. “Hot as in the temperature, not...not in your looks. No offense though, the blue does suit you!” 

The blue haired boy chuckles, looking down at his hands. “You talk a lot, Reki.”

Reki flushes, laughing and pressing a hand to the back of his next. “Sorry, I tend to get that a lot. Not a whole lot of people come around here that are close to me in age, so...I tend to get a tad excited.”

“No, it’s fine. There’s no reason to apologize...I don’t get to talk a lot, so it’s nice.”

“It is?”

“Yeah, I guess.”

Reki smiles, looking at Langa’s cup of water that’s in his hand. “I can go change this cup out for you, if you want? I didn’t mean to drink it but seeing your boss standing there, knowing that  _ he knows  _ you fucked up…”

“Don’t worry about it, Reki. I’ll just waterfall it,” 

The redhead tilts his head to the side. “...Waterfall?”

“You’ve never done a waterfall so you don’t drink after another person before?”

Reki shakes his head, handing the cup over to Langa when he gestures for the redhead to give it to him. “I don’t think so.”

Langa just takes the cup and tilts his head back, bringing the cup close to his mouth but not touching it; allowing the water to flow into his mouth. Once he’s finished swallowing, he looks back at Reki and shrugs. “My friends and I did it when we were younger.”

“But...don’t you still get the backwash?”

Langa blinks. “I...I didn’t think of that.”

“Oh well. That just means we  _ have  _ to be friends now.”

“Friends?”

Reki sits down next to Langa, who immediately tenses because  _ wow he smells like lavender and his eyes are the color of amber and he is so, so pretty and so, so  _ close _.  _ “Like I said before, people my age don’t typically come around here...My day consists of old lady pinching my cheeks, Cherry practically being my father and trying to get me not to do reckless things, Shadow being an ass, and...then I just kind of go home. Maybe with someone my age in the mix it’ll make things feel a bit more fun, yeah?”

Langa takes in Reki’s face; his amber eyes shining with hopefulness. He’s never seen anyone with eyes as beautiful as the ones in front of him, but he can’t do anything but merely nod at Reki’s excitement. “I get that...I think. I typically don’t go out.”

“Why not?”

Swallowing, Langa looks away with a small smile. “Just reasons. Nothing to worry about,”

“Oh, well...now that you’re working next door, you’re free to come in whenever you want, alright?”

“Because I’m the stray hound you brought in,”

Reki flushes. “Cherry is, he just-he’s just protective after some stuff that’s happened with Joe’s coworkers, is all. He didn’t mean-”

“Reki,” Langa turns back to him, Reki once more falling silently and looking at him with his own cheeky smile. It wasn’t as bright, or as loud, or as beautiful as Reki’s own - but it was still enough for the redhead’s heart to skip a beat. “I’m just playing around.”

“Right.”

“Mhm…”

They fall into a silence - Langa taking in the scenery around him with a cool face as Reki bites on his lip and presses his hands to his knees: not wanting conversation to stop. 

“So...what made you wanna become a tattoo artist?” 

* * *

Langa never experienced such ease in conversation as he did when he was speaking to Reki. 

Mainly because Reki was talking non-stop about both everything and nothing at all. One moment he’d be all smiles and sparkles about an amazing T.V show, and the next he’d be pouting about the stray cat that likes to hiss at him when he’s walking into his house. Langa didn’t mind, primarily because he admired the fact Reki could openly express himself in such a way. He also sucked at conversation, but he really wanted to talk to the redhead, so it made things much easier on his end…

After talking for what seemed like hours, Langa felt as though he had known Reki for months. His favorite anime was this swimming show Langa made sure to write down, he had three younger sisters, he lived with his parents but in this little shack he turned into his bedroom, and like Langa, he loved to skateboard.

“I make them!” Reki was currently watering some of the plants, a smudge of dirt swiped on his cheek that made him somehow look even more adorable. “I have since high school-picked it up when I worked in this skateboard shop that used to be right down the street from this one...it went under, but sometimes the owner comes in to buy flowers for his girlfriend.”

Langa looked down at his skateboard, taking in all the deep scratches and chipped parts. “You do?”

“Yeah, man! I absolutely love to make them, plus I know this third year in high school that helps me sell them. It’s good side cash!”

“Hm…” Langa picks up his board, flipping it over. “I haven’t gotten my board replaced since…” His eyes flicker up, blue meeting ember. “I don’t really remember how long it's been.”

Reki shrugs, pressing his gloved hands down into the soil of a flower pot. “Well, nothing wrong with loving a board that’s special to you, right? I don’t think I’ve replaced my board in a while, either.”

“Hm…” 

A comfortable silence falls over them; Langa taking in Reki’s side profile with a high blush on his cheeks. Even with that streak of dirt, some sweat from having had to clean up and move that huge soil bag - he had this aura about him that drew the blue haired male in. He seemed so open, and caring, and Langa can’t help but clutch onto his board tightly as he watches the boy work - a feeling he hadn’t felt in a while sparking deep in his gut. 

He wanted to spend the rest of the day here, sitting on this slightly uncomfortable sofa, talking about whatever he could with the boy…

As Langa continues to stare - Reki not noticing as he shifts his sole attention on peeling an extra barcode off of a plant, his tongue peaking out over his top lip - the front door to the shop opens, a bell ringing in the air. 

“Hello!” Reki cheers, dropping what he’s doing to turn around with a happy grin. “Oh, hey Joe!”

Joe. 

Joe…

Why did Langa feel like that was…

Oh, right. He had a job to start. 

Looking to the side, he spots the same green haired man he had seen in the photos on  _ Pain and Patience Ink.com  _ \- except he looked much older, and...much, much, larger. He also wasn’t even wearing a shirt: just a bomber jacket draped over naked, tanned skin. He looked at Reki with a smirk, showing off sparkling white teeth - and Langa couldn’t help but feel a pang of jealousy at the subtle blush Reki grew. 

“Reki, Reki, Reki,” Joe starts, teasing and taunting. “Are you using your boyish charms to keep my new employee hostage?” 

Before Reki, or Langa, can even say anything, there’s a blur of pink rushing past; and then there’s a low groan before they both take in the sight of Cherry’s fist digging into Joe’s lower gut, the man bending over in pain. 

“And where have you been, huh!? How can you call yourself a businessman when you open shop late, and don’t even show up on time for your new employee!?” Cherry pulls back, crossing his arms and kicking Joe’s leg roughly, a disgusted look on his face. “That stray has been in here for like five hours-”

Joe stands up, groaning so loudly it drowns Cherry’s scolding out. Once Cherry has given up on speaking because of the noise, his hands planted on his hips and a frown twisting his features, the green haired male sighs. 

“Kaoru,” he starts. “I know you dislike when people sit in your shop-”

He’s cut off when Cherry turns away from him, the vein in his forehead throbbing with anger. “You should  _ know  _ not to call me by my given name in front of a bunch of strangers.”

Reki lets out a startled noise, everyone directing his attention to him. “I’m not a stranger!”

“Not  _ you,  _ Reki,” sharp, golden eyes pin Langa in place. “I’m talking about your new  _ friend,  _ who Joe so  _ rudely  _ was late for.”

“Hey!” Joe shouts, opening his arms wide and coming up behind Cherry as if to beg for forgiveness, the pink haired man opening his fan to wave at his face. “I’m sure he doesn’t mind! Anyone would prefer Reki over me.”

Reki giggles as Cherry continues to fan himself, unimpressed. “I don’t think that’s what Cherry wanted to hear, Joe.”

Joe groans, walking over to Langa and sitting beside him, Langa all but sinking with the weight: eyes opening wide when a strong arm wraps around his shoulder. “You see this, kid? This is what you’ll have to live with.”

Cherry scoffs, folding his fan and crossing his arms. “He wouldn’t have to, if you knew how to separate your personal life from your business.”

A cocky smirk spreads across Joe’s face. “So I’m a part of your personal life now?”

Reki giggles as a blush spread across Cherry’s face: his eyes widening in disbelief and shock. 

“I never said-”   


“Too late!” Joe turns to Langa, still looking smug. “I’m his personal life, kid.”

“You are so…” Cherry cuts himself off with a huff. “Reki, I’m going on break. Shadow will be here in a half hour, so you’re free to leave then.”

Reki raises one eyebrow. “Sir, you haven’t even been clocked in an hour-”

“Oh, my precious Reki,” Cherry says - much more calm than Langa has seen before. He walks over to Reki; embracing the younger male in his arms, cradling him to his chest. “That’s the perks of being your own boss: you make your own hours.”

The redhead laughs nervously, looking tense in Cherry’s gentle hold. “Oh, uh-okay…”

“Be careful, kid, he might bite your head off.”

Cherry abruptly moves from Reki - the redhead almost toppling over as he does so. He moves all the way over to Joe, holding his fan to the green haired male’s throat. “Pretty boys should sit and look  _ pretty.  _ No thoughts, just looks.”

Joe chuckles, low in his throat. “Wouldn’t that rule also apply to you?”

Huffing, Cherry pulls back and turns to Langa. “I think you should get a job somewhere else. Putting up with this one just isn’t worth it.”

“Hey!” Joe shouts, suddenly nervous. “Hey, hey, hey! This kid’s a genius, alright? Don’t go giving me any ideas.”

Cherry smirks. “Oh, that’s right. You need someone more talented and good looking to bring in customers, isn’t that right?”

Joe pouts. “Now that’s just too far.”

“Whatever,” Cherry closes his eyes, and pinches his nose. “Now both of you go get started on doing whatever it is you do. You’re stinking up my store.”

Langa looks down at his shirt, subtly shifting down to sniff at himself. When he looks up, he spots Reki giggling his way, and he can’t help but blush in embarrassment. 

“Whatever,” Joe says, standing up and dragging Langa with him. “You just can’t handle the heat.”

“Of your odor? No, I cannot.” Cherry smiles once more as Joe rolls his eyes. “Make sure your mutt knows his place.”

Langa tilts his head to the side, Joe sighing.

“I had  _ one  _ bad employee and-”   


Cherry gives Joe a more serious look than before. “I mean it, Joe.”

A silence falls in the air - the two older men staring each other down as Reki and Langa just look at them in confusion. Joe scoffs, shrugging it off. 

“Yeah, yeah, whatever you want, princess.”

“I am not a princess!”

“Sorry,” Joe smirks. “Prince.”

Cherry rolls his eyes. “I’m on break, Reki!”

“Okay, sir!” Reki shouts, smiling happily.

“And make sure not to stay late,” Cherry sighs. “I don’t think I can continue to afford your overtime.”

“Oh,” Reki states dumbly. “Sorry, sir.”

“Don’t worry.” Cherry begins to walk to the back. “Remember what I said, Joe!”

Joe grits his teeth. “Yeah, yeah!” 

Once Cherry’s away from sight, Joe huffs, turning to look at Langa. 

“What was that about?” Reki asks before anyone else can speak. “The whole like...serious thing.”

Joe laughs, waving it off-but both Langa and Reki know he’s just trying to drop the situation. “Nothing, don’t worry about it, alright? You have more matters to worry your pretty head about.”

Reki places a hand on top of his head, blushing. “...Pretty?”

Langa blinks when Joe turns to him, grinning. 

“Now, now, where are my manners?” A large, meaty palm presents itself to the blue-haired male. “Name’s Joe, I’m your boss. How about we head next door and get started with that tedious paperwork, huh?”

Langa nods, taking Joe’s hand into his own. “Langa Hasegawa, sir. It’s nice to meet you.”

“You don’t need to hide it, I know you want to kill me for making you put up with this place.”

“It was…” Langa’s eyes flicker over to Reki, who’s picking at one of the patches on his apron. “It was no big deal, really.”

When he turns back to Joe, the man gives him a knowing look. “Right. Well, let’s go. See ya, Reki.”

Reki looks up, amber eyes round and happy. “Oh, alright! I’ll see you-you both! I’ll see you both later?”

Langa smiles, and Joe just laughs. 

“You’ll see us later, yeah.”

The redhead blushes again, nodding. “Awesome, um...I’d like to see some tattoo designs sometime, Langa...and Joe.”

Langa nods, heart soaring high. “I’ll bring some over later.”

“Alright, um...bye guys! See you!”

Langa and Joe exit the shop - and as Joe fights to unlock the shop, Langa looks back through the flower shop window where Reki is standing over a pot of tulips, a light blush on his cheeks and a small smile on his face. 

_ Yeah,  _ Langa thinks.  _ I think I’ll like this job.  _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> langa is a love sick fool and its only been two chapters! good night!
> 
> so is joe! like boss like employee asf! 
> 
> wish me luck on hw i need it
> 
> tumblr is rehngaz if you wanna come say hi <3

**Author's Note:**

> anyways thats all
> 
> if u wanna communicate with me my tumblr is rehngaz ! beware of hella sk8 spoilers tho >.<


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